though we strive for it, we will always remain inperfect. Your last
sentence is in fact misleading in that if you use graphics and
multimedia you leave out a whole lot of people having not to do with
accessibility for person's with disabilities. The broadest number of
people in the most general sense is served by providing ways to access
sites without the ned for graphics and multimedia. This is not to say
that they shouldn't be there, but they should not be necessary for
accessing the site and using it. This is a general guideline because
it was the most difficult one to achieve before wcag was written.
Anne Pemberton wrote:
>
> Wayne,
>
> Thanks for your comments. I am discovering the difficulties with using
> existing photos or illustrations around copyright laws, and realize that
> the web author has to "own" pictures that are used.
>
> It is an accessibility issue when you look past the needs of "normal"
> children, who will someday be able to access text without illustrations.
> Consider the adults with cognitive disabilities who are dependent on
> illustrations to understand text (and those who cannot process text at all
> and need illustrations *instead of* text), and this becomes an
> accessibility issue.
>
> Web designers need to be made aware that including illustrations is as
> basic to an informational website as properly marked up text. It may not be
> "easy" to find needed illustrations that can be used, but it is essential
> to make the web accessible to those who need them. The idea that the web
> can be made "more accessible" by decreasing the use of graphics or
> multimedia needs to be replaced by the reality that graphics and multimedia
> are essential to make the web accessible to all persons with disabilities.
>
> Anne
>
>
>
> At 10:04 PM 10/16/1999 -0400, Wayne Crotts wrote:
> >
> >> I am getting frustrated trying to find web content an 8 yo
> >> can use without
> >> someone reading it to him, and dismayed by the lack of illustrations with
> >
> >
> >Pardon me for saying this, but it sounds like you are frustrated by
> >copyright law. Most enthusiasts or others cannot put illustrations and
> >photographs on their web site without getting 'cease and desist' letters
> >from publishers who hold rights to those illustrations and photographs.
> >
> >In general, U.S. copyright law is particular as to the use of copyright
> >material. Even converting copyright material to be alternatively
> >accessible like converting it to Braille or to audio-tape is prohibited (at
> >least as interpreted by our university's legal affairs team).
> >
> >I say all this to suggest that this is not so much an accessibility issue as
> >a content and editorial issue.
> >
>
> Anne L. Pemberton
> http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1
> http://www.erols.com/stevepem/Homeschooling
> apembert@crosslink.net
> Enabling Support Foundation
> http://www.enabling.org
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